Just read The French Lieutenants Woman

[oldandhappy]

Zowie. This is a great book. The observations of Charles as he lurches along are striking. My favorite is in the church when he looks at the model of Christ on the cross and realized this is about being un-crucified. Powerful. Had never read the book and never saw the movie so do not know what people think of this work. I will read it again.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. Maybe I should try reading it again.

I read it years ago and just hated it. Maybe it was where I was in life at the time that I just didn't get the point, or maybe it is just too deep for me to comprehend. I still have the book, so trying again is not too hard to accomplish.

[oldandhappy]

2. I'd not read this one, but

have tried a few that I'd been assigned to read in high school and college and then probably wrote insipid essays as assigned. What caught my attention in particular was when I re-read Anna Karenina last year and sort of went WOW. I never saw it back then the way I saw it this time. so I have been slowly rereading some so called classics. You have to have some life experience to appreciate some of these books. We should never be assigned some of these books when we are so young. My rant, smile. And it is OK to not be able to get into a book. I liked a lot of the observations in the current read. And the double ending is probably too crazy for some folk. Try it if you want to do so, but if you do not like Victorian stuff, probably you'll be happier with something else. And, yes, does depend where yo0u are in life. I am retired so no competing stresses. Good luck!

[Curmudgeoness]

4. You spoke a mouthful of truth

when you said that there are many books that we are forced to read when we are not ready for them. The one that sticks in my mind is "A Tale Of Two Cities", which I hated in high school. When I read it again about 10 years later, it became one of my favorite books. I reread it at least every 10 years and it gets better each time.

[oldandhappy]

5. ha ha I will try it again

I did not enjoy Tale of Two Cities in high school. It is on the list for now, I my maturity!! thanks.

[yellowdogintexas]

6. I hated it too.

I had read another book by same author and couldn't wait to read this one. Just disappointed

[SheilaT]

3. I need to reread it.

I read the book when it first came out and loved it. Recently I watched the amazing movie made from it.

The author, John Fowles, is completely amazing. He does entirely different things in a novel than is conventional. I have not read all of his novels, but I really like the ones I've read.

The Collector, his first published novel, was made into a wonderful film.

His works are really in the "read and discuss" category.

[scarletwoman]

8. I saw the 1965 movie, "The Collector" at the theater when it first came out.

Starring Terrance Stamp and Samantha Eggar. Dark and creepy as hell. I see there was a 2009 remake, but I've not seen it.

I don't recall ever reading the novel - I think the movie put me off it.

[SheilaT]

9. Did not know there was a remake.

The book, if I recall correctly, is somewhat creepier because you are inside the head of the Terrance Stamp character, and he's a piece of work. But it's not the kind of graphic stuff you'd read today, since it came out so very long ago.

One of my problems with many modern novels is that the writers think they need to be totally explicit about all sorts of nasty things, and it's my personal opinion that it can be much more effective writing not to do so.

[scarletwoman]

10. I wouldn't have known either, only found out because I googled.

I couldn't remember what year the Stamp/Eggar movie came out, and when I first did a search I got a bunch of results for a 2009 movie called "The Collector".

Now that I think about it, maybe the 2009 movie had nothing to do with the John Fowles novel at all, and just had the same title - I didn't actually check.

Anyway, I'm with you - I don't need or want explicit.

[PufPuf23]

11. The Magus by Fowles is good read too. nt

[scarletwoman]

7. Read it many years ago.

I found it both moving and confounding at the same time. For me, it was one of those books that stays with you for a long time after you've turned the final page.